A Variety of Valentines
by ANGSWIN
Summary: The Tenth Doctor celebrates four very different Valentine's Days...Written by request for the 2017 Chocolate Box Exchange
1. A Half-Baked Valentine

**_The Doctor is confused. He doesn't understand what Rose wants to do for Valentine's Day._**

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This story takes place after the events of "New Earth" in Season 2 of _Doctor Who_.

Warning: This chapter contains pure fluff! ;)

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 **A Half-Baked Valentine**

Two pinstriped legs were the only things visible under the TARDIS console when Rose entered.

"Ohhhhh, Doctorrrrr?" she called out in _that_ voice. That voice meant that she wanted to do something, something that he probably wouldn't want to do. He also knew that whatever it was, he would probably do it anyway – just because she asked. Therefore, he just sighed and called back out in return.

"Yes, Rose?"

"Mum just called and …"

His heart sank. She wanted to go home again. But why? He had just taken her home for two days - two miserable days where he had sat in the TARDIS and just waited for her to come back because Jackie had been in one of her moods. Why would Rose want to go back so soon? Was she just trying to get away from him? He sighed again. Maybe he was just jumping to conclusions. That didn't really sound like his Rose, at all.

"…she said it was Valentine's Day back home!" Rose finished saying – her voice breaking into his musing.

"Valentine's Day?" the Doctor poked his head out from under the console to blink at her in disbelief. "You want to go home to Jackie for Valentine's Day?"

"What?" she asked, sounding a little confused. "No! Why would I want to do that? We were just there."

A smile raced across his face at her words and he finished pulling himself out from under the console to stand in front of her. Then confusion set in again. "So… if you don't want to go back home, then what do you want to do?" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment as he suddenly figured out what he thought that she wanted. "Do…you…want to go out somewhere?"

"Aw, Doctor…are you asking me out on a date?" she smiled coquettishly at him and even fluttered her eyelashes a bit. Therefore, he could tell that she was making fun of him a little.

That threw him a bit. Wasn't she supposed to want to go out on Valentine's Day? "Um…do you want to?" he asked uncertainly.

"No. Not really." She said lowering her voice seductively. "We go out all of the time." She moved in closer to him and reached out to adjust his tie. "What I really want to do is to stay in…" She leaned in and looked into his eyes "…and heat things up a little!"

"Wha…what do you want to do?" The Doctor practically stammered. He was quite perplexed. He knew that Rose liked him and quite possibly felt more than that, and he returned those feelings. However, they had never even really kissed (the ones that happened when she was Bad Wolf and possessed by Cassandra didn't count!) so she couldn't really be suggesting that they…

Then she was speaking again a low, sultry voice that made him want to loosen his collar – and perhaps other articles of clothing, as well! "I want to…" here she leaned closer to his ear to whisper "… _bake_!"

"Bake?" he whispered in complete bewilderment as she leaned back from him, grinning.

"Yep!" she said in her normal voice and popped the "p" like he always did. "I always used to make biscuits at Christmas and Valentines. However, I didn't really get to bake at Christmas this year because of…" here she paused and made a gesture pointing from the top of his head to his feet "…well, you know. That and the Sycorax invasion, of course! And who knows where we were last Valentine's Day? Somewhere up to our necks in trouble with Jack, probably. Therefore, it has been such a long time since I have…" here she paused again to wink saucily at him and then continued "… _baked_ and I really want to get back into the…" another pause and grin here "… _kitchen_!"

He shook his head at her, but couldn't help grinning at her obviously intended innuendos. _If you can't beat them, join them!_ he thought with anticipation. "Well, Rose Tyler, if you plan to bake…" he said in what he considered to be a super sexy voice, "…then I get to _preheat the oven_!"

He must have misgauged the power of the voice, however. Instead of being affected in a physical fashion (as he had been), she almost collapsed from the force of her giggles, instead!

" _Preheat the oven_?" The giggles turned into full-fledged laughter at this point. "Really, Doctor, that's the best you could come up with?"

Rose's laughter at his expense was bad enough. However, after a moment, he also felt the amusement of the TARDIS practically infusing the atmosphere of the console room, as well.

"I'm glad that I can entertain you ladies," he said petulantly. He had thought that it was a pretty good line!

"Oh, Doctor! Don't be like that!" Rose said as she headed off towards the kitchen. "Come on with me and I will let you _lick the spoon_ ," she called back suggestively over her shoulder before she dissolved into giggles again.

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He followed her down the corridor, shaking his head. He knew one thing for certain. After over 900 years of traveling through time and space, he still didn't understand women – not a bit! At least he was going to get some fresh baked cookies out of the deal, though! With that comforting thought, he headed off down the corridor behind that spunky blonde woman who had come to mean such a great deal to him! He was glad that he was the one with whom she wanted to share her Valentine's Day!


	2. A Valiant Valentine

**_During the Year That Never Was, the Doctor and Jack spend Valentine's Day aboard the Valiant._**

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This is a missing scene from the Season 3 episode of "The Last of the Time Lords" in _Doctor Who._

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 **A Valiant Valentine**

"Happy Valentine's Day, boys!" crowed the Master as he walked off of the bridge of the _Valiant_ behind his wife. "I would stick around to celebrate with you some more, but I promised Lucy a torture-free candlelight dinner. I know that neither of you could procure a date for the evening with such short notice, so I'll just leave you both here tonight to keep each other company!" He turned around for one last wink at the Doctor and Jack. "Don't worry, though. We'll play some more tomorrow!"

After the demented Time Lord and his wife had gone, Jack let out a low groan. "I really hate your ol' school chum, Doc!" he exclaimed as he sunk to the floor to rest – even though he was still chained to the wall. As usual, he had been "encouraged" to display his unique talents many times throughout the day. Constantly playing Lazarus was exhausting, as well as being quite painful, and the man was determined to use the unexpected respite to recharge. "Oh, how I would love to facilitate a few regenerations for him!" he continued in a tired, but vehement, voice.

"Now, Jack…You know that you shouldn't insult our gracious host like that," the small, wizened Doctor gently chastised him from his cage in a soft voice that was still the strongest one that he could muster, "especially not on a day designed to celebrate love and affection!" He accompanied this purposely light-hearted verbal warning with a look that reminded Jack that they were more than likely being monitored. They would never have been left alone together, otherwise. Their "host" was probably hoping that one of them would slip and start talking about Martha's whereabouts and their ultimate plans. The Master knew that they were up to something, but he just couldn't figure out what it was, yet, and he was getting a bit desperate.

Jack nodded his silent understanding at what the Doctor was carefully _not_ saying. "Still," he said remorsefully. "He was right. It's Valentine's Day and I don't have a date. I don't think that has ever happened before!" He frowned and gave the chains a tentative tug. "However, it wouldn't be the first time that I spent this holiday chained to a wall," said the man, sounding more like his old randy and mischievous self, as he looked over at the Doctor and wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

Despite their predicament, the Doctor snickered at his friend. "Well, obviously we're not going anywhere," he said, giving the bars of his cage at little shake. "So why don't you tell me about it. Sounds like a typical Saturday night for you anyway…"

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As his friend launched into the sordid details of that particular _date,_ the Doctor couldn't help to let his mind wander back to the previous Valentine's Day where he spent the evening laughing in the TARDIS's kitchen covered in flour with his own blonde _Flower._ His hearts then clenched in a completely different kind of pain than the kind that the Master liked to inflict. _At least she is not here. She is safe from all of this._ That particular thought brought him peace when nothing else could.


	3. A Dancing Valentine

**_Donna convinces the Doctor to attend a Valentine's Day Dance._**

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This story takes place after the events of "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" in Season 4 of _Doctor Who._

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 **A Dancing Valentine**

"Oi! Spaceman! Look at this!" Donna called loudly from across the store aisle. They had stopped for milk and the lurid pink advert in the window had caught her eye almost immediately.

" **VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE for SINGLES** " It all but shouted in bold printed letters.

"It's Valentine's Day!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I wanna dance and you are coming with me!"

"Donna, do you actually want to see me shake my groove thang?" the Doctor asked, rubbing the back of his neck in nervous contemplation of such an undertaking. He then stopped briefly to think about the words that had just left his mouth. "Nope," he said, shaking his head vehemently, "never saying that again!" Then, focusing his attention back on the fiery redhead in front of him, he tried to change her mind. "A singles dance, Donna, really?" he asked in a speculative voice.

"It's the best kind!" she said with enthusiasm. "That means that we could go together, but nobody would think that we are _actually_ together! Plus, that means that everyone else there will be ripe for the picking!" Here she waggled her eyebrows in a way that was eerily reminiscent of a particular captain that he knew. _Jack and Donna can_ _ **never**_ _meet!_ he thought fervently. He then shook his head at the thought of the catastrophe that would probably result from the collision of those two particular forces of nature!

"Wouldn't you rather go shopping?" the Doctor asked in desperation. "I know a market on…" his voice trailed off as the fiery redhead turned to face him with her hands on her hips.

"Valentine's dance tonight!" she said firmly in a voice that broached no argument. Then she picked up the milk and walked to the register to pay, leaving the Doctor to reminisce about the good old days when his companions actually listened to him.

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Later that evening, the Doctor waited impatiently for Donna to get ready. He still didn't want to go to this dance, but he supposed that he did owe it to her. Between the Sontarans and the Vashta Nerada, they had been running hard and getting into quite a few scrapes lately. Therefore, he couldn't deny her the opportunity to have a little fun. Plus, he knew that, even though she put on a brave face about it, she was still hurting from losing Lee, her perfect (but apparently imaginary) husband from the Library system. She was still trying to fill the void that their "marriage" and "family" had left in her life. He certainly could understand that since he still had a Rose-shaped hole in his life (and heart), as well. However, as someone who saw Donna as the sister that he never had, there was no way that he could really help her – except to be a good friend and take her to this dance per her request (or order – seeing that he was talking about Donna!)

After he had been waiting for a ridiculous amount of time (or so it felt – even for a Time Lord), she finally appeared. He thought that she looked quite attractive in an emerald green dress that perfectly complemented her hair and eyes. "You look lovely," he said honestly and offered her his arm. They had landed the TARDIS in the alley right behind the dance venue, so they could actually hear the music as soon as they opened the blue door. Looking down at the sparkling excitement and anticipation in his companion's eyes, he knew that whatever boredom or discomfort befell him tonight would be worth it – if he could make his friend happy.

He was reminded of that thought several times throughout the evening as he watched her dance with almost every man in the room. She kept her ear-to-ear grin on all night as she went "from the pimply-faced teenager to the old man with the walker and all of the yummy blokes in between" (as she happily stated herself over breakfast in the TARDIS the next morning). Unfortunately, his own evening had not been nearly as enjoyable. He spent quite a bit of it at the refreshment table eating biscuits and trying not to think about the connection between them and that certain Valentine's Day with that certain someone. He also found himself hiding and trying to avoid the butt pinches being dispensed by an elderly lady that strongly reminded him of a female Wilfred. However, he did make it his mission to dance with any lady who was sitting out for lack of a partner. His knowledge that he had made their night a little more enjoyable meant that the evening had not been a total waste – even if it was impossible for him to be with the only one that he had ever really wanted as a Valentine!


	4. A Comfortable Valentine

**_The Doctor visits Sarah Jane on a Valentine's Day that is difficult for both of them._**

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This story takes place after the Season 3 episode "The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith" of _The Sarah Jane Adventures_ and after the Season 4 episode of "Journey's End" of _Doctor Who._

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 **A Comfortable Valentine**

Luke and his friends were attending a Valentine's Dance at school. Therefore, the house at 13 Bannerman Road was definitely quieter than usual without the constant chaos and noise that only a houseful of teenagers could create. Sarah Jane brooded over a cup of tea (and a box of chocolates that the kids had given to her) in the lounge as the silence surrounded her. She was alone at home with nobody but K-9 and Mr. Smith, the computer, for company. This normally wouldn't have been a problem except for the fact that it was the first Valentine's Day after her failed wedding and she was feeling quite lonely. She missed Peter dearly, even though nothing had been as it had seemed with him, and she felt … unsettled and ungrounded. In fact, it felt a lot like the time right after the Doctor had accidentally left her in Aberdeen before she found the direction that she needed to take in life as an investigative reporter.

Just then she heard it, a sound that she had last heard on her disastrous wedding day – the unmistakable sound of the wheezing TARDIS engines. _Speak of the Devil…,_ she thought. _What is the Doctor doing here now?_ She thought that it was quite ironic that she had not seen the man for 20 years and now it seemed that he had popped into her life with regular frequency over the last couple of years.

First, she had met him and Rose at the Deffrey Vale school and they had defeated the Krillitanes there. Then she had been present at his and Rose's reunion right before they had all faced the Daleks together and thwarted Davros's plan for the Reality Bomb. Finally, the Doctor had shown up for her wedding, without Rose, and helped her to defeat the Trickster. Afterwards, she had been upset, but she still made him tell her about leaving Rose in the parallel world with his duplicate (as well as having to wipe Donna's memories). They comforted each other as only old friends could do and then he went on his way. That was the last time she had heard from him…until today, apparently.

She heard his knock on the door. Sure enough, when she opened it, the skinny, pinstriped Doctor stood there wearing a sheepish look on his face as he handed her a gorgeous bouquet of dark purple and blue flowers that were obviously not of Earth origin. The giveaway was the gentle hum that they produced when touched.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sarah Jane!" he said nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought that you might like some company today."

She looked closely at his face and realized that he was telling the truth, but not the whole truth. He was also in need of some company. He obviously still had not found anyone to travel with after the disasters with Rose and Donna - and he was lonely for the companionship of an old friend. He needed someone who knew him well, who would provide some refreshments and intelligent conversation, and who wouldn't ask too many personal questions. Therefore, the Doctor needed her!

She smiled and opened the door wide. "Won't you come in for some tea – and biscuits - Doctor?" she asked with a knowing smile on her face. She knew that the alien always had a sweet tooth – no matter what body he was wearing!

"That would be…brilliant!" he exclaimed. "I've discovered that I can't celebrate Valentine's Day anymore without biscuits!" This was said with a sad half-smile that Sarah Jane completely understood. She let him in and turned the conversation towards the flowers that he had brought. He soon relaxed enough to lapse into his manic puppy persona and they had a lovely afternoon.

They spent the time reminiscing over some of their old adventures together and laughing at the more insane ones. Then they discussed some of the new exploits that they had experienced separately since their last meeting. They spent some time updating both K-9 and Mr. Smith and even paid the TARDIS a visit, too. When it finally came time to part, they both felt surprised that they actually felt grounded again. They separated on both sides with lighter hearts and they realized that Valentine's Day wasn't just for lovers! It was also an ideal day to spend in the comfortable warmth of an old friendship!


End file.
